


Fiery Spit

by SilentSpades



Category: Young Justice - All Media Types
Genre: F/M, Genderbending, Humor, Not writing what I'm supposed to be writing XD, Romance, Spitfire - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-03
Updated: 2015-06-03
Packaged: 2018-04-02 15:53:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,979
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4065778
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SilentSpades/pseuds/SilentSpades
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After having a nice "chat" with the Batman, Apollo has been convinced to join the team. He figures that being part of the ragtag group of sidekicks would be better than going solo in the hero business, but one redheaded speedster is giving him more trouble than he expected.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Fiery Spit

**Author's Note:**

> _I know, I know, I still have to update Oblivious but but butt (hehe) ObeliskX asked if I could write a genderbent Spitfire and while I am not a fan of Spitfire in general, genderbent Apollo is just so … yuuuuummy OuO Plus my brain decided to be difficult and think of plot bunnies which took off like a rocket fueled with cheese and fluff. So here we go!_
> 
>  
> 
> _It's really ObeliskX' fault XD_
> 
> _…except for that title, I take full blame for that disgusting thing (I couldn't think of anything else ahahaha) seriously, don't take this fic too seriously XD_
> 
> _**Things of note:** Genderbent Artemis (Apollo), Wally (still Wally), and M'gann (M'gonn? Good enough!) , everyone else is still in their canon genders. Also, this is a oneshot and hasn't been edited beyond the cursory look, also more of a rambling kind of thing than anything with a solid plot. Also, some cursing but tame (at least in my opinion XD)_
> 
> _Disclaimer: I do not own Young Justice…if I did, you'd all know it would be drowning in the Birdflash fluff and angst .u._

" **The Wallster is here! Now let's get this party start-ed"**

_The first thing he had noticed from her entrance was her hair, fiery red strands caught tight in a high ponytail. When she went stumbling down, they trailed behind her like a ribbon from a rhythmic gymnastics performance._

" _Wallster huh? I love the uniform" He had said with a quick look down at her. She had nice legs. Long, smooth and defined, he had briefly wondered what it would feel like to run his hands along the enticingly freckled skin. "What exactly are your powers?"_

" _Uhhh… who's this?" she had asked with a deep frown on her face. The redhead had stood right beside Robin and it was that detail that confirmed his assumption._

_This was_ _**the** _ _Kid Flash._

_Well from his first impression, she wasn't that impressive but he'd take the opportunity presented to introduce himself anyway._

" _Apollo, your new teammate"_

" _Kid Flash, never heard of you"_

_So not impressed._

* * *

The first thing she had noticed from him was his voice. It was raspy and low, the kind that one would hear from a DJ announcing the Top 10 of the year's best hits. It was admittedly a nice kind of voice.

The next thing she noticed was his outfit. Green, green and more green. But what caught her attention the most was the arrow insignia on his broad chest. Mr. Tall, Blond and Mysterious was also holding what looked like a compound bow.

An archer standing beside Green Arrow, one who was definitely  **not**  Speedy.

"Uhh… who's this?"

"Apollo, your new teammate"

Who was also smug.

She wasn't impressed.

"Kid Flash, never heard of you"

The answering glare she received from the comment had brought out a mirrored expression from her.

They clearly were  **not**  going to get along.

* * *

_He had been on the team for a couple of days now and while the others had gradually warmed up to him, the running mouth that was known as Kid Flash was still being a total pain in the ass._

_He understood it, really he did. She was obviously fixated on this "Speedy" and her accelerated female hormones probably added to the whole cocktail of whiny overdramatic nagging speedster._

" _I get it alright. But I'm not interested in taking Speedy's place on your team" he had said but he couldn't just leave it at that, "If the guy wanted to join then he would've already, wouldn't he? So he's to blame for his own absence"_

" _Well sure, Roy decided to go on his own but that's… temporary" Uh-huh, even she didn't look very convinced, "But the fact that you're here is gonna make him feel unwelcomed and that's all on you. Which is why you shouldn't be here"_

_Ughh… infuriating woman. Rubbing the bridge of his nose to ease his growing headache, he started, "Look, Kid Mouth—"_

" _Wally"_

" _What?"_

" _My name's Wally, getting called Kid_ _ **Flash**_ _while off-duty feels a bit weird"_

" _Ok then, Wally…" he amended. He could at least try to make peace with—wait a second…_

" _Wally? Isn't that a guy's name? What's it short for? Wallace?" he snorted out and for once the redhead was quiet. She looked like a deer caught dead center on a highway and he just couldn't help himself._

" _Seriously?"_

_He laughed so loud and for so long._

_The swift kick to his shin had him cursing after the fleeing blur of yellow._

* * *

Apollo was such a pain in the ass. He was just so smug and sarcastic and irritating and-and-and-more bad words that Wally couldn't really process right now. She just felt so aggravated at the archer, and the stress of having him on the team had her eating more than usual.

"Woah woah, slow down there KF" Dick laughed beside her, as only her annoying best friend was allowed to do.

"I jusht dunt lahyk himhh Rhob" she said between mouthfuls of her—what was it? Sixteenth? Or twentieth? Oh who cares!—cheeseburger.

"He's sho annuhying, und he thhinksh he'sh shooooo hawt hand—"

"As entertaining as it is to watch you master the art of eating and talking—eaking?—you're going to gorge yourself to an early death Walls. And I really wouldn't want to be the one having to explain to the Flash how exactly it is that you died fighting a cheeseburger"

Wally tried to respond by childishly sticking out her tongue, but the gesture was significantly more difficult with a handful of beef in her mouth. Robin had grimaced at the sight then cackled out as he hurriedly snapped a picture of her.

"Rhoooob!" she exclaimed, frantically reaching for the laughing Boy Wonder. It was futile; the evil acrobat had probably sent the picture to his back-up drive, the back-up of his back-up drive, another one just in case, Batman, Uncle Barry, and  **Roy**. Great.

Uncle Barry alone would've been an abundant supplier of embarrassment.

It was while tripping over her two feet and landing on the Boy Wonder, that the  **other**  archer chose to appear.

"Am I interrupting something?" he had asked with an amused raise of his eyebrow. Wally glared at him venomously before swallowing her food.

"Oh go back to Middle Earth!"

"Why you little—!"Apollo sprinted forward surprisingly quickly. Wally got off her friend and ran circles around the blond. She couldn't help but occasionally stay within reaching distance of him before zipping off. Robin was watching the display with an exasperated expression as he continued thinking of a better word for "eaking".

Eventually, the archer had successfully grabbed her by her waist and together, they went tumbling down on the floor. Unexpectedly, he had turned them around to cushion the fall with his own body. Wally landed on him with an 'oof' and they both stilled.

Once she finally got her bearings back, she leaned up to look down at him. The blond was looking at her with a curious expression. Absentmindedly, she noted that his eyes were grey instead of her original assumption of brown.

"You are such a dork" he said softly with a poke to the center of her forehead.

Wally felt a weird sensation settle in her stomach and she questioned what it was before finally, "I'm going to be sick"

"Yeah, twenty-six cheeseburgers and a run through the kitchens will do that to you" Dick deadpanned from behind.

The following vomit session had Wally swearing off all manner of beef for all of six minutes before calling out for her uncle pathetically.

The look on Apollo's face had been worth it though.

* * *

_There really was something different about Wally and it wasn't just because she could probably eat an entire cow in one sitting. Maybe it was the fact that she was the loudest ginger he had ever met or the smartest yet also_ _**dumbest** _ _girl he knew. Or maybe it was the fact that she could be so infuriatingly persistent and insensible in her god-awful flirting._

_He was almost sorry for the Martian getting bombarded by cheesy lines and sleazy looks. How the female redhead managed to be so groan-worthingly shameless was beyond him._

" _So, M'gonn, what's it like in Mars? I know that the gravity's lighter there, which must be why you're so tall, but that doesn't really explain why you're so handsome"_

_Ugh._

" _I mean, I'm sure that where you're from, you've got all the girls chasing after you, M'orzz-o over here, haha, get it?"_

_UGGHHH._

" _Oh but now that you're here on Earth, I just want to let you know that I wouldn't mind-linking you up with some friends who could help you settle down. I could help too. We could settle down together"_

_OH FOR THE LOVE OF GOD!_

" _Ok, that's it! My brain can't handle any more of this" he had said as he dragged the speedster away from the flustered Martian. The bioship wasn't large enough for him to fully stomp his irritation away but there was a small section that could afford them privacy._

" _What?" Wally asked as she shrugged off his hold._

" _Could you please turn down the really bad flirting?" he asked, unable to keep himself from leaning over her. He towered over most girls and that often intimidated them, Wally, however, only a few inches shorter, stared up at him stubbornly._

" _I could, but I won't. Besides, it doesn't have anything to do with you" she replied and glared. Her arms were crossed over her chest._

" _It does if you're causing permanent brain damage! Trust me, if the Boy Wonder was here, he would tell you the same thing" he retorted._

_Robin was unfortunately busy doing god knows what with Batman, while the rest of the team was on a mission to save Kent Nelson. He used to think the mini-Bat was annoying with his childish pranks and admittedly good comebacks, but Wally just got so aggravating when the acrobat wasn't around to contain her never-ending energy._

_His comment seemed to have hit a chord because he suddenly had the speedster in his space._

" _Rob would never take your side! And you're just jealous that M'gonn is clearly much hotter than you!" she sounded so sure of herself that Apollo just wanted to bash his head in to spare himself the trouble of talking to her._

" _What? That's ridiculous! I'm not jealous of Mr. Martian. In fact, I feel sorry that he has to listen to that awful thing you call flirting!"_

" _Liar, liar, pants on fi-ire" the redhead sing-songed as she exited. Apollo had to bunch his hands together to contain the urge to flip tables. Just one mission and he wouldn't have to deal with the redhead for a few days._

_ooOoo_

_When the mission ended, he found Wally in the trophy room. Some part of him wanted to offer some comfort after Mr. Nelson's death but instead he found himself commenting, "You never said what happened to you when you put on the helmet…"_

_Almost automatically, as if she had thought it all through before, she answered, "Energy from the thing rewrote my brain's beta waves. I was bioscripted into becoming Doctor Fate for a few minutes. No biggie"_

" _You're still claiming that there's no such thing as magic? If that's how you feel, why keep it at all?"_

" _Souvenir"_

_He had to snort at her stubbornness._

" _You're lucky you're cute" Apollo regretted the words as they left his mouth. Now the redhead would never let him live it down. Denial was at the tip of his tongue when instead, he found Wally red-faced and silent._

" _Uhh… what?"_

_Ohhh, playing coy, was it? Fine, he could play this game._

_Walking closer, he looked down at her as he whispered, "Yeah, cute. Hell, when you were wearing Doctor Fate's outfit, you looked pretty hot"_

_Instead of the expected bragging, Apollo watched her freckled cheeks flush. She looked down demurely and fiddled with her hands like she didn't know what to do. It was such a change in character that he could not look away. Where was the Wallster who so easily served pickup lines on a tray filled with cheese?_

_This new side to her was sending an unfamiliar sensation in his stomach._

_Suddenly, they both heard the zeta beams announce the arrival of one Boy Wonder and the moment passed with her exclamation of "Rob!"_

_She was gone in a blur and he should've been relieved to be rid of her but instead, Apollo found himself wanting to see the sight of her quiet, shy and unexpectedly but undeniably beautiful._

* * *

When she finally woke up, the first thing Wally noticed was the heat. It felt like she had been shoved into an oven, and not the kind used to cook pizza and brownies. Instead, it made her remember Heatwave and that thought made her sit straight up in distress. Did she somehow lose consciousness in the middle of a fight?

Oh no, Uncle Barry was going to be so worried and—who was that?

Focusing on the figure passed out on the other side of the cabin, she carefully made her way over. He didn't look like an enemy or maybe that was just because her hormones were biasedly screaming "Hot guy!"

Still, Uncle Barry taught her well and she knew better than to judge from looks alone, so she put her well-honed observation skills to use.

Mr. Blonde and passed out, was obviously an archer. If his whole getup was anything to go by, he would be either someone connected to Uncle Ollie—maybe he knew Roy?—or a crazed fan, who really had to get a different hobby. Then again, who was she to judge? Flash-fangirl that she was.

Deciding that she was willing to risk it and that superhero fans had to stick together, she carefully reached out.

"Hey, wake up" she whispered. Who knew who else was here with them?

"Ugghhhh… huh? What the hell?"

Oooh, he had gray eyes!

He backed away quickly, muscles tense, ready for a fight. The way he reacted hinted at training and that meant her earlier assumption was probably correct. Wally had to internally yell at her brain to quit fantasizing about such wonderfully sculpted arms to say, "Hey, it's ok. It's ok. I'm one of the good guys. Y'know, Kid Flash"

"I've seen Kid Flash on the news, she doesn't wear black"

Woah, well this was new! Maybe a gift from Rob?

"A little unclear on that myself, what about you? Green Arrow fixation?"

"Who the hell put me in this!?"

Ok, so maybe she had mistaken his connection to Ollie and Roy. He still seemed like a good guy.

"So… you know how to use that bow?"

"Yeah, my dad taught me… **Dad** " he growled out and suddenly, Wally had gray eyes focused on her. "He probably wants me to kill you"

Whoops! Bad guy alert!

This was just great! If blondie here wasn't going to kill her then Uncle Barry certainly was; all his teachings about stranger danger and  _"boys are bad and are not getting within a fifty-meter radius of my precious niece'_  had all amounted to her getting murdered by some handsome mystery guy.

Robin was going to be laughing his silly little head off and Roy would be so disappointed and—was that a rocket overhead? Looking up quickly, she spotted something headed their way and hurriedly, she grabbed his hand and sped them away.

Bad guy or not, she still couldn't let him die.

Spitting out sand, Wally saw the incoming tanks. Somehow, they both made the split second decision that  **those**  were the bad guys and headed off for cover.

At the corner of her eye, she saw Legolas turn around and shoot. She had to admit, he was really good, almost on-par with Roy. Still, tanks and bad guys speaking in a foreign language was a bad equation, and she had already used up her one-dumb-decision-a-day card.

Sprinting over to his side, she lifted him up in her arms, bridal style. Phew! He was heavier than Rob.

"What the hell are you doing!? Put me down!"

"Sorry, they got bigger arrows" and off they went

* * *

_He didn't know what to think. Waking up in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by strangers and being told by a_ _**Martian** _ _that he was part of some covert team was almost unbelievable. Almost. He would've called the entire situation a steaming load of bullshit if the alternative wasn't so depressing; which was that he was once again under the thralls of his asshole of a father, in a mission to train him into some evil version of Robin Hood._

_So for now, he'd believe them. It was difficult not to when one of them was clearly Kid Flash._

_**Kid Flash** _ _, Apollo almost couldn't believe it. He had never thought much of the speedsters but even then, it was surreal to be working with someone who could move_ _**that fast** _ _. Plus, it helped that she was easy on the eyes._

_He never thought he'd have a thing for redheads but there was something about her freckles and her smile that made it so easy to trust her. Normally, he would've suspected her friendly nature as a charade but he doubted anyone could fake such bad jokes without causing accidental self-lobotomy. Sure, when the Martian—M'gonn was it?—came into the picture, he felt slightly hostile but Wally's assurances had done their job._

_Now if only he could reign in his utterly illogical jealousy at the sight of the speedster and_ _**The Boy Wonder** _ _hugging._

" _Rob!" she had exclaimed as she ran over to the tiny squirt that was Batman's sidekick_

" _KF!" the way the kid's arms wrapped around her thin frame looked way too friendly to be platonic._

_And why was he getting annoyed with something that was obviously none of his business?_

_The blond glared away the question as he listened with forced indifference._

"… _six months, let's hog-tie these creeps and compare notes…"_

_ooOoo_

_Being inside the Martian's mind was not a pleasant experience. Having the conversation drift off to the topic of breaching into each of their personal thoughts, was something out of a horror film._

_What if they found out about his family?_

" _You want to prod into our heads?" he had demanded aggressively. He knew he had to stay calm though, he couldn't act too suspicious._

" _I have no wish to intrude but—"_

"— _you need to hack our minds to find out what happened to us, got it" the little twerp interrupted. Why was Batman's protégé so open to this invasion of privacy? He thought out of everyone gathered, he'd at least have the same trust issues with the Boy Wonder._

" _My brain's all yours, try not to let its brilliance overwhelm you" Wally had said lightheartedly. Did she really have nothing to hide?_

" _Or underwhelm you…hey, why isn't anyone just whelmed?"_

_Kid Flash stuck her tongue out at the comment, but the way she couldn't keep from smiling hinted that she and the mini-Bat were close. To what extent, Apollo could only imagine. It annoyed him but that wasn't the issue at the moment. The real problem was whether or not he could he let them in._

_This was just too much of a leap of fate, to let these strangers go prodding and poking through his head like it were any of their business._

_Apollo was well-aware that no matter how many times he'd deny being affected by his family history he would still be worried about what others would think of him; whether or not they would paint him with the same broad brush as they did his relations._

_There had to be another way, there just—_

_Cutting through his thoughts was a warm hand. He looked down to see a red-gloved hand holding his. Looking up, he found Wally's green eyes looking at him. There was a supportive smile on her lips and when he squeezed her hand, she squeezed right back. Taking in a deep breath, he compromised, "The last six months only and only what you need"_

* * *

There were days when everything felt slow, like everyone moved, talked and  **thought**  at a snail's pace. Those were the days that she hated the most and unfortunately, today was one of them. Wally was bored to the bone at the cave. Robin was off doing mathlete stuff, while M'gonn and Connor were… bonding? Whatever, she didn't really know. She would bother Kaldur but the Atlantian looked too lost in his thoughts. Which left Apollo…

Wally never considered herself a masochist but maybe it was high time to reexamine that when she found herself entering the archer's bedroom.

Privacy? Puhleaaase!

"No" he had said, once he looked up from calibrating his arrows.

"But I didn't even say anything" she whined, put down by his easy dismissal.

"Whatever it is, I'm not interested"

Huffing out in disappointment, the redhead made her way over to the various knick knacks scattered throughout the archer's room. He was relatively neat, which was surprising; she expected the whole cliché of bachelor sweaty man vibe. The archer had various training materials on hand, some weights over here, a pull-up bar by the corner and what looked like an overused dart board. Wally imagined him playing with a toy bow and she couldn't help but giggle at the image. Looking over at his desk, she saw that he had some notebooks scattered as well as some books on… literature?

Huh, who knew Apollo was such a bookworm.

Moving on, she saw a tattered old poster of Alice in Wonderland. It kind of reminded her of Dick's Flying Grayson poster and she wondered how similar they actually were.

Oooh! Idea

Wally searched throughout the room in a faster pace. She was rummaging through the blond's dresser when, "What the hell are you looking for Baywatch?"

Apollo was drinking a can of soda and that hinted that he had a secret stash of food in his room. How selfish! He had a beautiful speedster here with him and he didn't even offer to share?

Well now he was going to rue the day!

Giving him a cheeky grin, she answered, "Porn"

Apollo choked on his drink, sputtering out undignified spittle on his bow. "What?"

"Oh, calm your man-tits, I'm just curious what kind you have"

"I do not have porn! And could you please have some respect for my belongings!" he said as he stood up to fold some clothes she had unwittingly thrown out in her treasure hunt

"Uh-huh" she replied disbelievingly and avoided the swatting male hand. Coming across his underwear drawer, Wally immediately started looking through it.

"What are you, the TSA!? Get out!" Apollo exclaimed angrily as he stomped his way over. Well he looked uncharacteristically red and nervous, which probably meant that the treasure was indeed hidden here. What an uncreative hiding stash. At least Roy had hidden his, masterfully under a secret compartment at the bottom of his bed in a fake book about politics— **ughhh**  politics!— and Rob had, well… she had never been able to uncover the Boy Wonder's secret goods. As expected of a Bat, Bruce must've been proud at that. Not that Batman knew where his ward's porn stash was but… moving on!

Lo and behold!

Turning around unimpressed, Wally raised her eyebrow at him. "Really? An issue of 'Busty Girls 2010'? I thought you'd have better taste than this"

Wally watched the archer's reddening face with mild dread. She could almost see the countdown to her impending doom, and she wondered whether Rob would avenge her.

Probably not.

The day had started out frustratingly slow but now that she was dodging exploding arrows, she could say that everything was finally at her preferred pace.

* * *

_The mission was starting to wear down on all of them. With the Justice League down and an invasion of aliens out of nowhere, he was amazed that there was still a world to save, whether or not they would be able to, was yet to be seen._

_Apollo was… worried about the team. They had lost mentors, friends,_ _**family** _ _. A few moments ago the reports came in of the death of Martian Manhunter, Superman, Batman, and the Flash. He had looked to Wally then, to find her eyes hard and her mouth drawn into a thin line. She had wiped her arm across her eyes once and walked away, Robin following after her._

_He hadn't heard anything from his family but he assumed they were dead. It was no surprise really, he had long since gotten used to the idea of an early death for any of them. Still, he had to swallow a lump in his throat before he headed off for a few minutes of target practice._

_They had arrived at Superman's Fortress of Solitude determined to avenge the people they had lost. The plan was simple, compared to a lot of other previous missions. Break down a ship, figure out what made it tick, and destroy those bastards with their own._

_It was supposed to be easy but that was before Wolf died and everything went to shit._

" _I got you covered!" he had said, firing arrow after arrow at the aliens. The team wasn't moving though and he added, "Get inside! I'm almost there!"_

_It was a lie._

_He wouldn't make it, they were too far and he was too cold. Besides, he always knew that out of any of them, he was the expendable one, the add-on with the shady background. He didn't bring anything to the team, no superpower or outstanding skill to help in their efforts._

_The mission weighed more than his sorry ass, even he knew that much._

_What surprised him was how much the thought hurt and how he could hear the vague memory of the redhead's laughter. The sound of it gave him the courage to stand up and aim. It was fine if he didn't make it but_ _**she had to** _ _._

" _Apollo behind you!" he heard M'gonn shout distinctly from the sounds of lasers firing and snow crashing down._

_There was an all-consuming bright light and the last thing he heard was Wally's voice yelling his name._

_ooOoo_

_He couldn't sleep._

_Rising up from his bed, he left his room listlessly. Despite the sessions with Black Canary, the nightmares persisted and he wasn't the only one plagued by them. The team was awake. The first one he had come across was Robin at the workout room, punching bags like his life depended on it. His fists were wrapped in bloodied bandages and Apollo left after a shared nod to one another. He could sympathize with the kid. Next was M'gonn in the kitchen. The Martian was baking what he assumed to be cookies in speedster quantities. He seemed eerily too focused on stirring. Kaldur was staring at his reflection at the still pool of the Grotto, lost to his thoughts as he was wont to do while Connor was with Wolf at the Hangar bay, configuring the new found Sphere with an odd stillness to his face._

_Apollo passed them all and headed to the Souvenir Room. He knew exactly what brought him there, but he'd have to be tortured before he said as much._

_He found Wally standing before her souvenirs. The redhead had on a Flash themed pajama set, in one of her pockets was a Robin plushy and Speedy's old hat. He would've focused on that if the sight of her hair down wasn't so distracting._

" _Hey" he called out to her._

_Startled, she dropped something before turning to him. Her green eyes were wide before she visibly calmed down and gave him a small smile._

" _Hey" her voice was softer than usual and he felt pulled as he walked over. He bent down to pick up whatever it was she had been inspecting and discovered that it was one of his arrows, the one that had saved her from so long ago._

" _You dropped this" he said_

" _Thanks" she replied_

_He handed it over unceremoniously and when she allowed it, he let his fingertips linger against her skin. Apollo watched her return the souvenir to its rightful place. Usually he'd have some comment but he just felt too tired to bother._

" _Can't sleep?" she asked and at his singular nod, she offered, "Wanna go watch a movie?"_

" _Sure"_

_ooOoo_

_They had a marathon of Disney movies and he kept thinking that it couldn't get any more PG than this. The sounds from the television had brought out the team and they soon found themselves all huddled in the lounge as The Hunchback of Notre Dame played in the background. One by one the team drifted off to sleep and Apollo was soon next. His eyes began to close but he kept his ear open to the dialogue._

_When the movie was about to end, he heard Wally whisper, "Apollo, you awake?"_

_He didn't respond, just let the lights from the television play across his eyelids. Soon, he felt a pull on his shirt. He opened his eyes slightly and looked down to find a freckled hand clutching the bottom hem of his shirt. Wally was already snoring away, leaning on the Boy Wonder's shoulder as she drooled._

_When Apollo finally went to sleep, he was holding her hand in his._

* * *

It was a beautiful day for a walk. The birds were chirping, the sun was out, the wind was blowing and if Wally had the talent for it, she'd write a song about it. Unfortunately, she couldn't sing to save her life but fortunately, she had legs of perfection. So here she was, walking beside Apollo in booty shorts, showing off long legs all sexy like.

"I'm bringing sexy back, yeaaaah!" she sang under her breath as they passed by the various stores. She had turned a few heads, which was flattering for someone who rarely ever went out in anything other than cargo pants.

"I swear if you don't stop singing I'm going back to the cave, consequences be damned" Apollo grumbled out. The archer was annoyed at having been forced to go out under threat of a speedster powered tornado through his unmentionables again.

"Oh c'mon! We're just going out to eat. It'll be fun!" she said as she stubbornly dragged the blond. Passing through a few blocks, they finally reached their destination.

"Tada! I present to you, the Big Belly Burger" Wally exclaimed at the disgruntled male. "Aww, c'mon, you can at least act happy"

"Yey." Was his smart-ass answer and she finally gave into the urge to smack him on the arm.

"Let's go spoilsport" And because she was Kid Mouth she just had to add, "The sooner we eat, the sooner you can go back to your  **Busty Ladies** "

"I hate you, I really do" he said, but she could see a smile overcoming his usually grumpy face.

When they finally sat down, Wally waved a waitress immediately over.

She smiled wide and, "Hey! I'd like Six Big Belly Combination Plates, three Chef's Special Salad Bowls—hold the onions though, and two Spaghetti and Chili Meatballs with that special pepper jelly on the side, and three— no! make that  **four**  Special Super Thick Milkshakes iiiiiiiin Strawberry… with extra whipped cream and he'll have?"

Wally turned to look over at Apollo and it looked like the archer had just entered the Twilight Zone. She didn't know what the issue was though; he had already seen her eat at the cave.

Shaking his head, he finally answered, "A minute to look through the menu"

Once their waitress left with a smile and a promise of food, the blond leaned forward to say, "I take it you come here often"

Apollo had a smirk on his face but it was different, kinder somehow and was quite handsome.

"How'd you know?"

"Figured if she didn't bat an eye to your order that she was used to it"

"Fair enough" she shrugged

"Aren't you worried all those carbs are going to go straight to your thighs though? The next thing you know Barry's going to have to look for another sidekick to replace the one who can only  **roll** in superspeed" he teased and the sound of his voice sent giddy goosebumps along her arm.

"Oh… ha-ha very funny! For all you know, I could actually replicate Sonic's moves, and then we'd be in business!"

"I can imagine it now. You'd have your own theme song of course… maybe something with 'wrecking ball' preferably, care of Miley Cyrus"

"You're just jealous that I get to eat as much as I want without gaining weight!" she countered, leaning forward challengingly as well.

"That's just because you're abnormal" he replied with a grin as he rested his head on his propped up hand.

"Excuse me, the correct term is  **special** " she said confidently flourishing her hand like a wise mentor correcting a student.

"You're right." He amended as he raised his other hand, linking his fingers together and leaning forward to stare directly at her. "You are special"

Woah.

It felt like all the air had been taken from her lungs and replaced with oil to fuel her racing heart. She looked down to hide her reddening face. Out of habit, she tucked her hair behind her ear and Apollo's eyes followed the motion. She bit her lip nervously and saw his gaze flicker down to her lips before looking back up at her eyes. His gray gaze was so penetrating and she found herself mumbling out awkwardly, "Actually, Roy was the one who first brought me here"

Suddenly, like a bucket of ice had been thrown right at him, Apollo's eyes lost their heat. He had glared for the briefest of seconds but Wally still caught the expression, being the speedster that she was

He looked away with a huff before raising his hand to call their waitress over. After ordering, he reached over the table and took a table napkin which he then proceeded to shred into tiny bits.

"So… umm, Roy brought me here and he said that this was one of the few places where Uncle Ollie first brought him to"

The archer was still roleplaying as a paper shredder which left Wally inwardly panicking at his unexpected bad mood. Maybe she could tell him about the first time they had eaten here? Maybe the hilarious story could bring back the mood?

"The first time we ate here we actually got kicked out because we were being too unruly and because we kinda forgot our wallets. Hehe… ummm…So I was eating happily and then Roy turned to me and—"

"Look, could you… just stop talking right now?" Apollo had said with a cutting motion of his hand.

In the totality of everything he had ever said to her, his "request" wasn't even in the top ten of the most insulting or the wittiest…but this one  **hurt**.

Wally shut her mouth and unconsciously leaned away. She looked out the window until the food arrived and even when the delicious spread was laid out before her, said nothing.

* * *

_He was an idiot, a complete and total moron, a colossal doofus who deserved to be strung along a bridge by his intestines. They were having a nice date—day. A nice_ _**day** _ _and he just had to ruin it with his stupid temper._

_When he found the redhead standing in front of his bedroom door dressed like a total babe, he had clear visions of them walking down the harbor, eating pasta in a mood-lighten restaurant, or most preferably, making out on the beach. She didn't even have to try and convince him to spend the day with her._

_They even had fun. They had gone for ice cream for a while before heading off to the arcade where he had to glare some punks away for staring too long at her, without her knowing of course. They then went sightseeing or their version of it where they played fashion police on random civilians. All in all a great date—day! Damn it! A great_ _**day** _ _._

_And here he was ruining it._

_At the back of his head he heard an imaginary Wally singing, "I came in like a wrecking ball!" He would've laughed if it wasn't depressingly true._

_Wally was tossing a meatball on her plate to and fro. She had still managed to finish her meal, but it wasn't with the same gusto he was used to seeing on her. She was hunched over her plate, hiding half her face under an upturned hand._

_He could still remember the flash of pain that had crossed her eyes before she looked away. He never felt sorrier in his life than he did this moment. He was trying to muster the courage to apologize but it was just something he had never done. In his family, apologies were rare, practically nonexistent. You either did things correctly the first time or you got a knife in the back for crossing a line that should never be crossed._

_How would he even phrase it?_

' _Hey, I'm sorry. I just got jealous'—_ _ **No.**_

_He didn't even have the right to be jealous. This wasn't a date, no matter how much it felt like one. And if it were, that hardly excused how he had flared at the casual mention of a_ _**friend** _ _._

_He was just… in the wrong. He knew it. Hell, the waitress that had been giving him bad looks since he raised his voice knew it; even the old couple seated to their right knew it._

_But the problem was, Wally didn't and he couldn't have her thinking that any of this was her fault._

" _Wally—"he started and was abruptly blocked by a side view of Miss I-Do-No-Wrong-Waitress._

" _So how are things here? I hope you enjoyed your meal" she said with a friendly smile to the speedster and a glare at him. This Asian chick had balls of steel._

" _We did, thanks a lot Linda" Wally said with a sad smile. 'Linda' frowned a little at the sight and he found himself matching her sentiment._

_He really was such an asshole._

" _Could I interest you in some dessert? We have some specials I know you'd just love Wally"_

" _Umm…" The redhead looked at him questioningly before looking back down at her lap "No, that's alright. Just the bill for now"_

_There was a sudden yet sharp kick to his shin just then and he refrained from reacting beyond a surprised flinch. 'Linda' was giving him a pointed look._

_Pffft, bitch probably just wanted them to order more to raise her tip and—Ow! Was she wearing steel-toed shoes!? Fine, fine… if it would help, fine._

" _Actually, we'd be interested in those specials you mentioned" he said as he tried to ignore the dumbfounded look Wally was giving him._

" _Great! We have a blueberry pie fresh from the oven and a moist choco lava cake, which would you like?"_

" _What do you want Wally?" he asked softly, apologetically reaching out to brush his fingertips on her arm. The redhead stared down at his tanned hand before flushing prettily once again._

_It wasn't enough though. His earlier comment had stung more than he had anticipated and she leaned back shyly, depriving him of the smooth skin of her arm._

" _Noth—"_

" _We'll have both" he answered before she could finish. There was a pause before Linda finally wrote down their order. After another swift "accidental" kick, the brunette went on her way._

_The awkward silence returned and by the time that their dessert arrived, it persisted. Wally didn't move to touch the offered food and that was alarming enough that it prompted Apollo to man up and say, "I'm sorry I'm such a dick"_

_Her green eyes widened at the apology and he figured any reaction was welcome._

" _Such a huge monumental dick. Hell, I probably have an award delivered to my room by now, 'Best Dick in the World'… wait, that came out wrong—not that anything's coming or anything just… I don't have the best dick—I mean, I have a dick and it's fairly decent—even great! But…" Apollo let out a long groan at the train-wreck that was his mouth. This was why he didn't ramble along like the redhead. Better to let the girls think him smooth and mysterious rather than the bumbling idiot that he was_

" _I'm also sorry I don't know how to apologize. Can I start over?" he confessed as he buried his face in his hands._

_He was an embarrassment to the Crock family but maybe that was a good thing if it had the speedster laughing out loud._

_Peeking through his fingers, Apollo saw Wally laughing so hard she had tears in her eyes. She was slamming her hand down on the table spastically as she clutched her stomach. The old couple to their right was chuckling and even Linda seemed to be hiding a smile under her hand._

_Wiping a few stray tears, she finally turned her sunny smile back towards him._

" _Man, we really need to do something about your social skills" she said and he narrowed his eyes at the comment._

" _Oh just shut up, eat your dessert and tell me the damn story"_

_She grinned in reply and began carving into her pie. Apollo felt so relieved that things were back to the way they were supposed to be, that he left a thirty-five percent tip from a speedster-priced meal._

* * *

Wally was lying in bed after another successful mission. She had made it back to her place a few hours ago and after hugging her parents in relief, she headed off to bed. She couldn't sleep though. She tossed and turned and tried to think of any boring topic that could lull her to sleep. Eventually her mind drifted off from thoughts of food, to science, to superheroes, and finally, to her uncle.

When the adults had first disappeared, Wally felt immensely guilty that her first thoughts had turned to her aunt and uncle, to the people who she felt more of a daughter to than her own. Her parents weren't bad people but they weren't particularly good parents either. They were just too busy with their own preoccupations but they did try. Earlier on the day, she and Uncle Barry had a minor argument of sorts. The Flash didn't want to take her out to patrol with him. According to him, he had to gather intel from Central's sleazy bars and he was not— **absolutely not** —bringing his innocent niece in that den of manly man-sweat.

Sometimes, Uncle Barry was just so overprotective of her. She'd never begrudge him of it, considering that it was more sweet than bothersome but still, a girl needed her space. And it wasn't as if she was still a little girl in pigtails, scraping her elbows and crying out for ice cream. Nu-uh, now she was a big girl, in a ponytail… scraping her knees… and crying out for double fudged sundaes…

**Still different.**

On the forbidden topic of boys and Uncle Barry, Wally wondered who exactly her uncle would approve of. It seemed no one would ever reach his standards. Heck, when he first met Rob he had interrogated him nonstop, which led to a glaring match between him and Batman, which  **he won**.

Wally knew that there was a reason that she was a Flash-fangirl.

Anyways, after constant assurances that Rob was only here to take up the best friend mantle and that no, he was not going to corrupt his little princess, Uncle Barry had finally eased up. But once Roy had come along, it seemed like Barry had upped the ante. Roy had taken the full brunt of Barry's hostility with his own fiery temper. Once, the archer had confessed to her that all his glaring had been a ruse and that he still had the occasional nightmare about the Flash chasing him down, demanding how he could ever think that he was good enough for her.

She didn't know what Barry was so worried about. It wasn't like she was that naïve or couldn't defend herself—she had superspeed for crying out loud! Well… she did—keyword being  **did** —have that huge crush on Roy but he clearly didn't feel the same…

Moving on from less depressing topics.

If she was to then list down Uncle Barry's standards of men who were "worthy" it would probably include someone who was…

Kind— _He better have good manners and treat you right Wally!_

Smart— _He better be smart enough that you don't get bored with him but not condescending!_

Financially Stable— _how are you going to feed my Wally? With money from Oliver? Get a job Roy! I don't care if you're thirteen. If you're old enough to be a vigilante then you're old enough to start providing for my niece!_

Brave— _he should be able to protect you, superspeed or not, you'll always be my little girl_

And most importantly…

Utterly imaginary— _Nope, you are not allowed to date until you are thirty and even then he should be the most flawless little twerp this side of universe and trust me I will ask Hal to make sure._

The worst thing about it, she was sure that he wasn't joking. He'd probably drag a very willing and eager Uncle Hal to scare away any boy stupid enough to court her. It was bewildering how he expected Wally to attract Mr. Perfect when she was just regular ole' Wally.

If she was the one asked what it was that she was looking for in a guy, she'd say that he wanted them to be handsome and have a hot bod.

What? She was still a teenage girl undergoing an overflowing cauldron of hormones.

Ok, ok, seriously though, he had to be sweet and funny and loyal… maybe tall? He could be blond too, with nice strong arms and deliciously tanned skin. He could have sharp gray eyes, a raspy low voice and a laugh that filled the room along with a slightly crooked grin. He could have a predatory kind of gait, offset by an adorable awkward shy side.

Wally also wanted a family man and she remembered seeing Apollo singing to the kids gathered back at the gymnasium to calm them down. He had butchered the song but the effort he exerted more than made up for it. He would make a great dad, she was sure. He'd be strict but passionately loving. He'd be protective of his family and smart enough to raise kids. Then again, he wouldn't have the best 'dad jokes' nope, Wally would have to fill that void but he would have solid advice about all sorts of things.

When she finally fell asleep, she was followed by imaginings of a small house in the suburbs with a dog, a treehouse and a happy, simple, family life.

* * *

_It was her birthday and he was helping Kaldur put up some banners. As the tallest member of the team they had been relegated to hanging duty. It wasn't so bad, especially since all this effort was for her._

_The amount of people in attendance was unexpected. There was quite a number of the league present, some of whom, he had never even met. He supposed being as friendly as she was, Wally was bound to forge close ties in the superhero community. The redhead herself was not yet present. She was probably still at home, enjoying a nice morning with her family. It was strange that the usual bout of jealousy at having a normal family escaped him today, maybe because he wanted Wally to be happy more than he wanted to let his self-hate boil over._

_Once everything was in place, the only thing left to do was wait for the speedster. As they did so, Apollo fiddled with the box in his pocket. It was nothing special, just a simple thing he got for her with his limited funds._

_He still hoped she liked it though._

_Finally, Robin called out for her entrance. They all squeezed into their respective hiding places and a part of him found it amusing how these grown-ups who called themselves superheroes were so eager to act like children. He heard the computer announce her designation and held his breath._

_When Wally entered the room, they all yelled out "Surprise!"_

_She was having a hard time keeping from smiling as she dramatically exclaimed, "Whaaat? You guys! You shouldn't have!"_

_The Boy Wonder snorted as he commented, "Not like you've been hinting for days or anything"_

_After blowing out her candles, Apollo began to make his way over but stopped at the sight of M'gonn leaning down to give Wally a kiss on her forehead._

_He felt his heart squeeze painfully at the image. Making a quick about-face, he stiffly walked over to the other side of room. Staring at the variety of fruit drinks, he cursed under his breath. He could use a hard drink right now._

_Whose idea was it to say that minors couldn't drink anyways? He fought crime on a daily basis and he couldn't even unwind with a beer?_

_Letting out his frustrations with a long sigh, Apollo took out the small box in his pocket. He stared at it for a long while until his own temper got the better of him. He squeezed the box tight, crumpling the cardboard box and discarded it without another thought._

_Hastily grabbing any drink within reach, he downed it with a single gulp. Right after, he overheard a conversation to his right._

"… _I know this is all very new and intimidating but I promise you… someday, you'll get used to watching Wally eat"_

_He smirked at Robin's words before walking over to him and Zatanna. They both greeted him with a nod and a grin and he tilted his head along the direction of both redheads._

" _Think we should tell her?"_

_The trio watched as the Martian stood up and made his way over to Superboy. Wally as expected, remained oblivious. Sitting cross-legged and happily munching on her cake._

" _She is the only one who doesn't know…"_

" _Then please, allow me" Apollo said as he cut through them. This was going to be_ _ **fun**_ _._

_Plopping his butt on the couch right beside the speedster he leaned forward to whisper in her ear, "Hey Wally, might want to reign in all the flirting, you wouldn't want to piss off Superboy of all people"_

_He subtly gestured towards M'gonn and Connor. Mr. Martian was giggling as he wiped away some frosting on the clone's lips. His irrational jealousy was sated as he watched Wally visibly deflate._

" _Awww… man!"_

" _Attention team, suit up. Polar stealth. Mission in five"_

_ooOoo_

_On his way out, he had passed by the souvenir room once again._

_When he had heard that Queen Perdita had perished despite Kid Flash' best efforts, the worry had overcome the joy of succeeding in their mission. He almost tried to speed past the team to Seattle but that was wishful thinking with a dislocated shoulder that needed medical attention._

_He was at the MedBay when he heard the news. The feeling of relief that settled over him upon finding out that Perdita was actually alive and that it was all a ruse, became the stubborn reminder of how much Wally's well-being meant to him._

_He wanted to check up on her, make sure that she really was okay. Instead he had overheard Robin praising her for the day's good job._

" _Dude, I just heard you saved an entire country, major kudos!"_

" _What can I say? I'm the man!" She replied happily and Apollo shook his head at the sound of her voice. He smiled slightly as he turned to leave but then accidentally slipped._

_Damn snow!_

_The sight of the trolling twins peering at him curiously greeted him._

" _You alright there Apollo?" Robin asked as they both helped him to his feet._

" _Yeah, just… slipped"_

" _Riiiiight… well I gotta go back to Gotham" the Boy Wonder made to leave before heading back their way._

" _Oh by the way Walls, I believe_ _ **Apollo**_ _wanted to give this to you a while ago. I found it by the refreshments, he must've_ _ **forgotten**_ _" he said quickly handing out a familiar box to the redhead while Apollo watched speechless. With a hug goodbye and a muttered "Happy birthday again KF" Robin went on his way._

_Apollo glared at the fleeing bird. What a damn troll._

" _What happened to your shoulder?" she asked, laying a feather light hand on his other arm. Her touch was warm and he just wanted to lean in but he was still feeling betrayed by the whole drool over the exotic Martian debacle._

" _Accident" he answered gruffly before finally letting himself settle his own worries. "How about you? Are you alright?"_

" _Yup, just a bit tired but it was worth it" She smiled at him. Despite his less than welcoming attitude, she started to walk beside him to the mission room._

" _So you're not still bitter about having to play delivery girl?"_

" _Well… honestly, I did at first but…" Wally leaned into him and he allowed it because…_ _ **because**_ _._

" _But then I realized—or rediscovered, is the more appropriate term I think, that the reason that I got into the whole spandex wearing gig was because I wanted to help people and today I just got the best gift I could have ever asked for"_

" _Which was?"_

" _I got to save a little girl" the smile on her face was one he hoped never to forget._

_They passed through the corridor in content silence until they found themselves standing before the zeta beam platform. Wally turned to him suddenly, all frantic energy and happy bouncing._

" _Speaking of gifts! What did you get me?"_

" _Nothing! Robin made a mistake"_

_After her speech, he suddenly felt embarrassed of his present. It couldn't compare. Reaching over to frantically to grab his cheap cardboard box, held together by the cheap ribbon and cheap wrapping, containing his cheap gift, he toppled over. Wally kept them standing by wrapping one hand along his waist. Apollo froze at the sensation of her arms around him and watched as she quickly untied the ribbon with her teeth._

" _It's mine now don't be such a meanie and try to take it away." Letting her arm wrap around him tighter so she could use both hands, Wally unconsciously shifted closer to him. Apollo let his good arm, settle on her shoulders. He swallowed a sudden lump in his throat and tried to get his heart under control._

" _What is it?" she asked, focusing on the green strip of stretchy cloth in her hand._

"…  _it's a headband" when she just tilted her head at his answer he tried to explain "I noticed that you never wore your hair in anything other than a ponytail and whenever you have it down you always have to tuck it back… I thought that might bother you so…"_

_Now that he said it out loud he realized how stupid and creepy he sounded. When Wally looked to him though, he tried to wear his best poker face._

_For an instant his heart stopped as she stood on her tip toes and awarded him with a chaste kiss on the cheek._

_There was a muttered "Thank You" before he heard the zeta beams announcing her departure._

* * *

Wally was so frustrated and confused and hurt.

She couldn't wrap her head around the idea that Apollo could be so selfish that it had cost them the mission. She thought he understood that he had nothing to prove, that his spot was permanent and he wasn't just some archer.

He was theirs.

_And to think that she had actually defended him from Roy of all people!_

She was at such a loss as to how to feel and what to do that she did what she usually did in these kinds of situations, she turned to her uncle.

Upon seeing his niece at their doorstep at one in the morning, Barry had ushered her in, in a panic. He checked her hastily for any injuries and when he found none, he wrapped his strong arms around her.

"What's the matter kiddo?"

She shook her head at the question and held tighter. The words refused to come but at least now she was safe back in her dad— **uncle's**  arms.

"Would some ice cream make you more willing to share what's bothering you?"

Uncle Barry really was the best.

ooOoo

There was nothing quite like being able to speedrant to someone who could understand every word and with a gallon of ice cream between them to sweeten the deal.

"I just don't understand why he'd do something like that!" Wally exclaimed, scooting further into the Flash's warmth. "I mean, he's always been so smug and confident and then all of the sudden, he's desperately trying to prove himself by doing the most reckless thing! It makes no sense Uncle Barry"

"Well, I can't really say I know him but I'm sure he had his own reasons for doing what he did. From what I've heard from Oliver, Apollo's a pretty smart kid. He wouldn't just run off like that, especially if it meant endangering any of you or the mission"

"But I stood up for him… I thought…Nevermind"

"What is it?"

Uncle Barry had gently but playfully nudged her shoulder but Wally felt too self-conscious about what she was about to admit.

"It's nothing really"

"C'mon kiddo" he said pushing the last few portions of their ice cream towards her. Very Rocky Road, it spoke volumes that he was willing to give up his favorite flavor for her.

Gratefully eating the offered piece, she said, "I just thought that he trusted me"

When Uncle Barry gave her an encouraging look, she continued, "I mean, we've spent so much time together and sure, we got off on the wrong foot but I really thought that after these past couple of weeks, that we've gotten much closer"

She stood up to pace in front of him, the urge to move becoming irresistible. "I mean, we've been hanging out lately and we even ate out at Big Belly Burger. He treated me!—and you know that people don't really do that unless they're loaded, like Dick or Roy… We've been goofing around so much that we started making a game out of trading puns, and he always seems to know what to do or what to say when I'm feeling down and I just thought… I thought that I knew him too but apparently, I really didn't" Crashing down beside Uncle Barry on the couch, Wally curled into herself.

"He even gave me this really pretty headband on my birthday" she added absentmindedly as she carefully ran her fingertips along the green piece of cloth on her head. Uncle Barry eyed her for a moment before wrapping his arm around her.

"Wally, there are some things that we don't say to the people we care the most, not because we don't trust them but because we're afraid. It's not as simple as it seems"

"But doesn't that just mean that we don't trust the other person enough?"

"I suppose to a certain extent it does" he compromised but continued, "But tell you what… when I first met your aunt, I was blown away. She was so amazingly fierce and she had a quick mind tempered by a great sense of humor. I just had to get to know her and when I got lucky enough to ask her out on a date, I knew the moment that she walked in, that she was the woman I wanted to spend the rest of my life with. I knew that I had to tell her about being the Flash but I didn't right away. You know how much I love your aunt and how I trust her with everything that I am, but I was scared Wally. I spent days awake in bed, imagining the worst, terrified of how she'd react and whether or not she'd be safe. So it's not as simple as being able to say that if we trust someone, we tell them everything but rather, whether or not we trust ourselves to be worthy of them. We care so much about impressing the people that we love that sometimes our insecurities get the better of us, but that doesn't diminish how strongly we feel about them, if anything, it reinforces it"

When Uncle Barry finished he reached over to smooth down her hair. The touch was comforting, and his smile was gentle and kind.

"How'd you get so smart Uncle Barry?"

"You'll have your aunt to thank for that"

She laughed. The Flash really was the best.

"Feeling better squirt?"

"Yeah, thanks a lot"

"Well good, 'cause I've used up all my wisdom for the year" Leaning toward her and suddenly having a firmer hold on her shoulder, Uncle Barry said, "So… Tell me about this Apollo again"

There was a dangerous note to his voice that had Wally planning in advance on how to apologize for the horror that she had unwittingly let loose on the archer.

Ehhh… it could be payback for lying.

* * *

_Connor's mom was Lex Luthor._ _**Lex Luthor** _ _._

_It was both horrifying and surprisingly_ _**not-** _ _surprising. After all, if there was one person who'd be enough of an asshole to mix in his DNA with a super-powered Kyrptonian, without them knowing, it would be Luthor._

_On the other hand, one could also say that Connor's mom was Superman… but that just sounded weird._

_Apollo had nothing against Connor for his complicated ummm… origins; especially when his was beyond perfect._

_The past few days had been tense. Wally and he still hadn't made up and it just sucked to have the redhead ignoring him. On the bright side, he saw her wearing his gift a few times, so maybe she wasn't that mad._

_Well it was time to face the music. He just hoped that the team would still accept him—that she would._

_Clearing his throat, he started, "Listen, Superboy's not the only one suffering from bad DNA"_

_Making his way over to the computers to show his genealogy was a nerve-wracking experience but it didn't compare to looking at them all in the eye to explain._

" _My mother is huntress, an ex-con. The rest my family isn't even ex. My dad's Sportsmaster and he's sending my sister, Cheshire, to fly me to Santa Prisca too"_

_He hated the way that his voice shook at the words and found that he couldn't keep looking at them. At the corner, he heard Wally murmur, "That's why…"_

" _Yeah, I was so desperate that none of you find out…" he refused to look at her even when she made her way over. This was the moment that they were going to kick him out of the team for lying and for having a family so ingrained in the criminal network. Unexpectedly, it was Robin who brought him out of his brooding._

" _I knew" at the questioning looks sent his way, the Boy Wonder added defensively, "Hey, I'm a detective… but it never mattered, you're not your family._ _ **You're one of us**_ _."_

_It was so simple when he said it that way. Wally was nodding along supportively before wrapping her arm around his. The smile she wore said that all was forgiven and he couldn't help but lean his head on hers, breathing in fresh air._

" _So, who's next?"_

_ooOoo_

_Well this was certainly not how he imagined spending New Year's Eve._

_Admittedly, the Light had concocted an amazingly diabolical plot. Controlling the League with Starro Tech to further their own agenda was ingenuous! But luckily, the bad guys had once again underestimated the "sidekicks"._

_Now that everything was out in the open, the team fought like a well-oiled machine. Although to be honest, they were lucky. If the league wasn't under someone's control and actually wanted them dead, well, they'd be buried under a thick layer of dirt by now._

_Apollo never thought that he'd fit in with this ragtag group of sidekicks but as fought alongside them, he realized that there was no place he'd rather be. Sure, they had a mission to do and if they failed then the whole world would pay for it, but there was a certain sense of thrill from firing arrow after arrow to the aid of the people he cared for._

_It had been difficult to fight against Ollie but knowing that they were doing the right thing only encouraged him to be better—like his mentor would've wanted him to be._

_When the chaos literally fled the scene, he stood beside the redhead as she grinned at their success._

_He didn't know what the future held for them but right now as he looked at the humbling world below them and Wally's wide toothy smile, he knew that he'd be ready for it, along with some friends to make the journey all the more worthwhile._

_The only thing left to do was to wrap things up and go home._

" _Happy New Year Justice League" the computer suddenly announced._

_Beside him, Wally was shaking her head and he looked to her curiously._

_She looked up at him before smiling wide. "I should've done this a long time ago"_

_Suddenly, she jumped on him, wrapping her arms around his neck and her legs round his torso. Her lips were chapped but soft. He answered eagerly at the sweet press of them, forgetting the rest of the world._

_It felt like a fire storm in her mouth as he explored the taste of her with a languid sweep of his tongue. Her tantalizing tongue met his in a battle for dominance as her teeth would occasionally nibble on his lips. A slightly harder bite had him holding her closer and she moaned softly at his wandering hands. She was just so wonderfully addictive that it had him cursing out as they finally had to part to breathe._

_There was a thin trail of saliva connecting their lips and it should've been gross but it strangely wasn't. Wally leaned forward once again for a chaste peck, ensuring that the fiery trail of spit stayed between them._

_Once she finally leaned away to look at him, her green eyes were crinkling in mirth._

_Yup, the future was looking brighter already._

**Author's Note:**

> _Yup, so that happened XD_
> 
>  
> 
> _Let it never be said that I don't try my hardest to bludgeon a poorly thought out title to somehow fit the story XD_
> 
> _This was actually quite fun to write. I had difficulties ending it though but because I didn't want to end up with a fifty-page story, the ending's a bit crap. Oh well, I'm off to write Oblivious. See ya guys at the next update of that fic XD_
> 
> _Much thanks to ObeliskX for the request :D_
> 
> _Sidenote: this pairing actually reminded me of one of my favorites (SeiferxQuistis from FFVIII) which was awesome_


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